HOME MOVIES: 1940s

Genre: home movie

Year Published: 1940s

Format: 16mm

Description: These early to mid 1940s amateur / home movies come from the estate of Albert A. Binney, Sr. a long-time resident of Montecito and Los Angeles, California. In 1930, Binney co-founded Binney, Chase & Van Horne, a successful insurance business that was still in operation through 2018. These home movies show various family activities but the locations and people in them are unknown. Apparently the family was fairly affluent (just to afford home movies required a certain amount of largesse) and based on their clothes and lifestyle, one can assume they were not a typical American family. This lengthy film shows the family activities from the early 1940s through the war years. Unfortunately, many of the places shown in the film are not known or identified. The film starts with shots in a pine or redwood forest, possibly Big Bear or another area near Los Angeles. At 3:56, a girl (probably about 5 years old?) poses with her doll and her little brother. The girl is seen again posing with other children at 4:44. At 4:51, precious footage of a boy with a hobby horse riding around in front of the camera. Dressed as a cowboy he points a toy pistol or gun at the camera. At 5:31, girls dressed in formal dresses pose for the camera. At 5:51, a man -- possibly Albert Binney, is seen wearing an Army uniform. At 9:02, the same man drives an Army Jeep and shows it off to his kids. At 13:22 is the golden dome of the capital of Vermont in Montpelier. At 14:25, the Lincoln Memorial and the reflecting pool of the Washington Monument are seen, followed at 14:45 by images of Mt. Vernon. At 16:00, the family visits the beach. At 17:46 is an interesting segment, showing the African American / Black nurse or family maid who is taking care of the children. At 19:16, a child dressed up as Uncle Sam walks past camera, leading a parade of children, possibly in observance of July 4th. The children at 19:26 carry a "kindergarten" sign. At 20:06, kids dress up as cowboys march past carrying a "Texas Rangers" sign. At 22:00, shots from a moving train, probably in the Pacific Northwest. At 22:30, shot at Niagara Falls, the Canadian home of the Community Plate. At 23:09, shots of the Niagara Falls. At 28:00, shots of horses interacting with people and being fed grass. At 29:27 a girl blows bubbles with a pipe. At 30:23, kids play in the water with a paddle board or surf board. At 31:23, interesting footage (for the time period) showing a man and a woman in bed together. At 32:30, the family rides horses. At 36:55, a group family shot with father once again appearing in uniform. At 38:09, additional footage at Mt. Vernon. At 38:48, shots of the Rose Parade in Pasadena, with many patriotic floats including a San Diego float with a battleship at 39:48. At 41:49, a clown leads children at a birthday. At 43:06, the children get into a car, possibly a Packard Super 8, with suicide doors. The car is seen again at 44:13. At 51:07 is a game of pin the tail on the donkey. At 52:05, young mothers pose for the camera.

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